Donations are pouring in for Edmonton family who must travel to Florida for cancer treatment for 8-year-old son

Eight-year-old Edmonton boy Riley DeClercq underwent surgery at the Stollery Children's Hospital on Dec. 22 for an aggressive brain tumour, but now must head to Florida for further treatment. PHOTO SUPPLIED

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Donations are pouring in for an Edmonton family whose eight-year-old son must undergo specialized cancer treatment in Florida.

On Dec. 18, just one week before Christmas Day, an MRI showed that Susan and Damien DeClercq’s son Riley had a large brain tumour close to his brain stem.

Riley, who is described as an “athletic, healthy boy” who loves playing football and hockey, was admitted to the Stollery Children’s Hospital where he underwent an eight-hour successful surgery on Dec.22.

After a lengthy recovery period, Riley was ready to come home, but that’s when doctor’s found out his tumour was a Grade IV Medulloblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive tumour that can spread to other parts of the brain, spinal cord or bone marrow if not treated immediately.

“An exact date for his treatment hasn’t been nailed down yet because of the speed of how this has gone,” said Riley’s father, Damien DeClercq. “They require that treatment starts within 31 days of surgery...the approval process now has to be fast-tracked, big time.”

But in order to get the proper treatment – which consists of proton beam radiation therapy -- Riley and one parent must travel to Jacksonville, Florida for seven to eight weeks.

While the treatment and the cost of the flights were covered by Alberta Health, the family says they don’t have the funds to cover for the day-to-day costs of living of the trip.

That’s where the generosity of Edmontonians comes in.

In just 24 hours, a GoFundMe campaign for Riley has garnered over $28,000 in donations from over 300 people, including a $1,000 donation from the Workun Garrick Partnership Architecture and Interior Design.

Others included kind messages for the family with their donations.

“We are floored. We are just so humbled right now, it’s unbelievable. We’re just completely numb... the support has been just amazing,” said DeClercq. “We just had a girl down the street who goes to the same school, just drop off her piggy bank – about $20 worth in coins. It’s unreal. We’re just so thankful.”

As soon as Riley gets back to Edmonton he will still have to undergo four months of chemotherapy treatment at the Stollery. By this time next year, DeClercq says the whole ordeal should hopefully be over.

“It’s amazing to get all this money but in the back of our heads we know we’re still not out of the woods yet,” said DeClercq.

Donations are pouring in for Edmonton family who must travel to Florida for cancer treatment for 8-year-old son

Donations are pouring in for an Edmonton family whose eight-year-old son must undergo specialized cancer treatment in Florida.

On Dec. 18, just one week before Christmas Day, an MRI showed that Susan and Damien DeClercq’s son Riley had a large brain tumour close to his brain stem.

Riley, who is described as an “athletic, healthy boy” who loves playing football and hockey, was admitted to the Stollery Children’s Hospital where he underwent an eight-hour successful surgery on Dec.22.

After a lengthy recovery period, Riley was ready to come home, but that’s when doctor’s found out his tumour was a Grade IV Medulloblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive tumour that can spread to other parts of the brain, spinal cord or bone marrow if not treated immediately.

“An exact date for his treatment hasn’t been nailed down yet because of the speed of how this has gone,” said Riley’s father, Damien DeClercq. “They require that treatment starts within 31 days of surgery...t